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Thursday, February 7, 2013

Vitamin D, Omega-3 May Help Clear Amyloid Plaques Found in Alzheimer's

For illustrative purpose only

A team of academic researchers has pinpointed how vitamin D3
and omega-3 fatty acids may enhance the immune system's ability to clear the
brain of amyloid plaques, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease.

The scientists identified key genes and signaling networks
regulated by vitamin D3 and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)
that may help control inflammation and improve plaque clearance.

Previous laboratory work by the team helped clarify key
mechanisms involved in helping vitamin D3 clear amyloid-beta, the abnormal
protein found in the plaque. The new study extends the previous findings with
vitamin D3 and highlights the role of omega-3 DHA.

For the study, scientists drew blood samples from both
Alzheimer's patients and healthy controls, then isolated critical immune cells
called macrophages from the blood. Macrophages are responsible for gobbling up
amyloid-beta and other waste products in the brain and body.

Both 1alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and resolvin D1 improved
the ability of the Alzheimer's disease patients' macrophages to gobble-up
amyloid-beta, and they inhibited the cell death that is induced by amyloid-beta.

The next step is a larger study to help confirm the findings,
as well as a clinical trial with omega-3 DHA, the researchers said.

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